Belgian poker legend Pierre Neuville died on August 26, 2026, at the age of 83 after a long battle with prostate cancer. The former Team PokerStars Pro was a rare late-career poker success story, a business executive turned tournament player who became the oldest November Niner in WSOP Main Event history.
From boardrooms to bracelets
Born in 1943, Neuville learned poker as a student. He later co-developed a board game with Belgian cycling great Eddy Merckx before selling his games company to Hasbro, where he spent ten years as a vice president. He retired from business in 2008 and returned to poker full-time.
The Serial PokerStars Qualifier
Neuville qualified repeatedly online for EPT events, earning the nickname 'Serial PokerStars Qualifier' from PokerStars Blog. He embroidered the slogan on his Team PokerStars Pro-patched shirt, a gently self-deprecating flourish that became part of his identity on tour.
I want to continue playing for another 20 years.
Pierre Neuville, 2015
The Main Event moment
At the 2015 WSOP Main Event, Neuville reached the final table from a field of 6,420 players, becoming the oldest November Niner at age 72. He entered the November Nine fourth in chips and eventually finished seventh for $1.2 million. He was also runner-up in two EPT Main Events, to Antonio Mathias in Vilamoura in 2009 and to Mickey Petersen in Copenhagen in 2012, and received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2015 Global Poker Awards. Fellow Belgian Kenny Hallaert called him 'a legend of the Belgian community.' Sources: PokerStars Blog, PokerNews.
